President Joe Biden's chaotic withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan last month was widely criticized on both sides of the aisle, as images of chaos in the region—especially at the Kabul Airport under the revived Taliban regime—showed desperation and despair.
Afghan allies scrambled to the airport in a frenzied effort to evacuate for fear of the Taliban's retribution.
One particularly harrowing video from the footage showed a U.S. soldier being handed an infant, which he then pulled to the other side of the razor-wire barricade protecting the airport.
Watch below.
Footage from outside Kabul airport shows an infant being passed over razor wire to soldiers on top of barricades. \n\nGet live Afghanistan updates: https://trib.al/vaJqAkR\u00a0pic.twitter.com/FVgrQtHQwL— Sky News (@Sky News) 1629463735
At a recent rally for former President Donald Trump, Lance Corporal Hunter Clark delivered a speech to the crowd of Trump supporters, where he suggested he was the service member seen in the viral video.
Watch below.
Trump invites Marine pulling baby over Kabul wall in viral video on stage at 'Save America' rally inwww.youtube.com
Clark said:
"Hey my name's Lance Corporal Hunter Clark, I'm here from Warner Robins, Georgia. I am the guy that pulled the baby over the wall and it's definitely probably one of the greatest things I've ever done in my entire life. I just want to thank all of the support from all of y'all it really means a lot and I'm glad to be home now today, thank you."
Clark's command relayed to Military news outlet Task and Purpose that Clark was not one of the service members seen in the viral video pulling the baby over the wall.
Department of Defense guidelines prohibit U.S. service members from speaking at partisan political events. At the rally, Trump repeatedly claimed or suggested the election was stolen and that Biden was not a legitimate president, complicating matters further for Clark, whose appearance at the rally could be seen as implicit support for the undermining of his commander-in-chief.
Clark also smiled for a picture with far-right Congresswoman and prominent conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.
Another photo of Clark at the Trump rally. pic.twitter.com/VHYySiv1eh
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 30, 2021
Captain Kelton J. Cochran, a spokesperson for the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, confirmed Clark is now under investigation for his appearance at the rally, saying:
"The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) has initiated a command investigation regarding LCpl Hunter Clark's attendance at the event last weekend to determine if any DoD policies were violated. Any details pertaining to this incident are not releasable while the investigation is being conducted."
Though the investigation is still underway, people have widely criticized Clark's appearance at the rally, including veterans and their loved ones.
DISGRACEFUL!https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1443621982986244099\u00a0\u2026— Diane Harris (@Diane Harris) 1633049171
As an officer in the Military you would think LCPL Hunter Clark would know the article of the Uniform Code Of military Justice (UCMJ). I still don't understand why people are still campaign or engaging for a falling President Donald Trump. This dude is a grifter, stealing money!https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1443621982986244099\u00a0\u2026— KB (@KB) 1633039678
When I served, I stayed strictly non-partisan, did not even comment on anything political. Both in the military and when employed by local government, it was against the rules.https://twitter.com/ronfilipkowski/status/1443621982986244099\u00a0\u2026— Sue Strong \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddff\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 \ud83d\udc89\ud83d\udc89\ud83d\udc08\ud83d\udc08\ud83e\udd8b (@Sue Strong \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddff\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 \ud83d\udc89\ud83d\udc89\ud83d\udc08\ud83d\udc08\ud83e\udd8b) 1633029549
I am ashamed that a brother Marine would not only violate orders but also endore an insurectionist who spreads hate, lies, disinformation and conspiracy theories.https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1443621982986244099\u00a0\u2026— Dr. Stephen Grinstead (@Dr. Stephen Grinstead) 1633021595
A neighbor once asked my dad to post a political sign on our lawn during an election year and my dad said \u201cI can\u2019t, I\u2019m on active duty.\u201d That\u2019s the normal response.— Democracies only exist if people vote. #ProChoice (@Democracies only exist if people vote. #ProChoice) 1633021874
Some speculated that Clark knew he was violating protocol.
Good. He knows the rules. He broke them. The military seems to be having some serious issues with service members who think that rules don't apply to them.— UKtoUSmomma (@UKtoUSmomma) 1633021762
That A$hole KNEW he wasn't supposed to do that. He's trying to get an early out with the very, very stupid idea that Trump is somehow going to be there for him.https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1443621982986244099\u00a0\u2026— Phillipa Charlotte (@Phillipa Charlotte) 1633022241
Good! He knows the standard of conduct rules. I was wondering why they didn\u2019t immediately investigate him.— Dr Robin (@Dr Robin) 1633022149
It's unclear what, if any, discipline Clark will face after the investigation.
Thankfully, CBS News found that the infant handed over the wall—a now-eight week old girl named Liya—is living in Arizona with her family, who also managed to escape.
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